School District surveying staff and families on masking

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Friday, March 4, 2022 at 1:13 PM

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Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Following the Juneau COVID risk level lowering to minimal and masking no longer required, the school district is asking parents and staff their thoughts on masking in the district.

The survey sent out to parents and staff asked if masking requirements should change before the end of the school year.

It also asks when the mandate should be eliminated; immediately, on March 28th, April 4th, May 2nd, or at the end of the school year.

School Board President, Elizabeth Siddon, said the results will be presented to the board at their Tuesday meeting. She was asked where she stood.

"I am a parent of an elementary school kid, so I can look at it through that lens, but I also recognize that I have a school board hat on as well and we have to make decisions as School Board members that are in the best interest of the system as a whole," she said. "I'm interested in all of the results of both surveys, and I'm glad we separated it between staff and families because I think those are different perspectives and I'm interested to see how both sort of groups of people feel about how they want to see us move forward."

Siddon said the board's overarching goal is to keep kids in school.

"As a board, we maintain the same end goal, which is we want our kids in classrooms, with their teachers and with their students. And so we're making those decisions about what's going to keep that learning environment happening and keep those kids learning in our schools."

So the board will be presented the results of the survey at the Tuesday regular meeting, and will then hold a subsequent special meeting Thursday the 10th to make a final decision.

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